从“水冰”之喻的诠释看气学演进逻辑

On the Evolution Logic of the Philosophy of Qi from the Interpretation of“Water and Ice”Metaphor

自《淮南子》将“水冰”之喻引入生死之辨后,王充、张载与船山都对其进行了义理阐释,形成了严密而系统的气学脉络。王充以“水冰”有别喻生死不同:生如水凝为冰,死如冰释为水,生不能不死,如冰不能不释,死后不再有知,如冰释不再为冰。这一说法批判了谶纬迷信的流行泛滥,同时也遗留了宿命论和价值根源缺失问题。张载借“水性”喻人性:水凝冰释而水性不变,人有存亡而人性不灭。人性源于太虚之气的良能妙用,所以是“天人一源”。通过体用论的建构,张载弥补了王充学说的缺陷,但也留下了身心问题有待解决。船山借水之“常体”与“常体”之变喻太虚之气与人:“常体”之变是太虚之气的自我运动,其背后不存在超越的主宰者,其“变”即冰形成后,寒之性在其形质之中。同样,气凝聚为人,人性在形质之中,由形质而成。船山是系统阐释“水冰”之喻并解决前人遗留问题的集大成者。从“水冰”之喻的阐释过程看,气学发展逐渐走向严密化、系统化和体系化。

Since the metaphor of“water and ice”was introduced by Huainanzi to signify the distinction between life and death,Wang Chong,Zhang Zai and Wang Fuzhi have all made theoretical interpretations of it,and have thus formed a rigorous and systematic context of qi.Wang Chong uses the difference between“water and ice”to describe the distinction between life and death.According to Wang,life is like water freezing into ice,while death is like ice melting into water.Death is inevitable for life just like the melting of ice,and after death there is no consciousness just like ice no longer exits once it melts into water.With such interpretation,Wang Chong criticizes the prevalence of superstition,but also leaves behind the problems of fatalism and the lack of value.Zhang Zai draw an analogy between“the nature of water”and human nature.The nature of water remains the same whether water freezes into ice or ice melts into water.In other words,men are mortal while human nature is immortal.Moreover,human nature comes from the wonderful use of qi of Taixu,so it“shares the same origin with heaven”.Through the construction of Ti-yong theory,Zhang Zai makes up for the problems of Wang Chong’s theory,but also leaves the problem of mind-body dualism.Wang Fuzhi uses the“constant”and“variation”of water to describe the qi of Taixu and human being.The change of the“constant”originates from the self-movement of the qi of Taixu,and there is no overlord behind it.After the formation of ice,coldness is in its form and nature.Similarly,when qi condenses into human beings,human nature is contained in and formed by both the form and the nature.Wang Fuzhi is a master who systematically interprets the metaphor of“water and ice”and solves the problems left by predecessors.Different interpretations of“water and ice”metaphor have reflected that the philosophy of qi has become increasingly rigorous and systematic.